I remember when I was young and my dad and I used to go to the park. As a child I really didn't know which park I was going to, but I always remember fishing at the park. This park is where I shared some of my childhood memories from the first fish I ever caught to the first time I hooked my finger. I remember when I used to play tag football here with friends and family. I can also recall the first time I went for a bike ride along the trail. These memories are ones that will never be forgotten and they were shared at Coyote Hellyer Park.
History:
The Tamien and Matalan tribes of the Ohlone Indians were the first to settle on the land that is now Coyote Creek Park. The creek provided water, and an abundance of wildlife in a temperate climate. The Spanish Settler Juan Bautista De Anza and his party of explorers crossed the creek in March of 1776 and gave it the name of Arroyo Del Coyote. The name is derived from the coyotes they saw on their journey. The park was named after a settler to the area, George Washington Hellyer. He was born in Ohio in 1832, and came to California in search of gold in the 1850's. Originally he and his brother mined the hills near the park in search of cinnabar. Cinnabar was used for quicksilver and was important to the gold rush. Unsuccessful, they turned to farming and agriculture. In 1872 George Hellyer left the area. Before becoming a park the land was used as a machine shop, a rock quarry, and even a landfill. In 1962 a Velodrome was built for track racing cyclists originally used the track to prepare for the Pan American games. In the early 1900's San Jose was considered the bicycle capital of the United States, and cycling was the most popular activity in the valley. The Park first opened in 1966 to the public. At this time the old rock quarry was transformed into what is now Cottonwood lake.
The Park:
Coyote Hellyer Park is located off of Hellyer Avenue and Highway 101 in San Jose, California. The parks facilities are fully accessible to those individuals with disabilities. The park occupies 223 acres and has two sides split by a street. One side has a lake, playgrounds, BBQ area, large picnic field, trails, and a flying disc course. The other side includes a Velodrome, volleyball area, horseshoe pits, playgrounds, large picnic field, trails, and a dog training area. The park is open year round from 8 a.m. until sunset daily. A entrance fee of $4.00 is collected upon entering the park year round on weekends and holidays. During the week, an entrance fee is collected from the week prior to Memorial Day and until the week after Labor Day. An annual entrance pass is also available which is good at all Santa Clara County parks for $50.00.
Activities:
Hellyer park has a great deal to offer the public. Visitors may choose from a variety of activities. Activities consists of running, fishing, hiking, bicycling, skating, picnicking, using the playground, using the dog training area, using the Velodrome, walking, playing volleyball, playing horseshoes, or even playing on the flying disc course. The flying disc course is new and the only one of its kind in the Santa Clara Valley. It is a course that is played like a game of golf, except with a flying disc, and you must make it in a basket instead of a hole using the same concept as golf with par courses and differently weighted flying discs.
Another unique feature of this park has is the gated field for dogs also known as the dog park. This is 2 acres of grassland in the park, which is fenced off so that dogs are permitted to run around freely without a leash. It was intended for dog owners to give their dogs a safe area in which to play along with other dogs. This dog park is available for use Tuesday through Sunday from 8 am to 1/2 hour prior to sunset.
The park also offers an Olympic size Velodrome. A Velodrome is a open air, banked, bicycle racing track. It is used for training and the holding of both professional and amateur races. This Velodrome is open to the public, but there are a few requirements, which must be met for use. The requirements are that you must have a racing approved bike (no brakes) a certified helmet, and a course supervisor must be present while riding on the track. To obtain a course supervisor one can make an appointment by calling 408-226-9716. During the summer, races are held every Wednesday and Friday from 7-10pm. During the fishing season which is from the last Saturday of April until November 15th you may fish in the creek and fishing is available year round in Cottonwood Lake. The lake is stocked from November through late April with rainbow trout.
A Closer Look at the Creek:
The creek was originally discovered by Lt. Jose Morraga and named El Arroyo Del Coyote. Sometime later it was renamed to Coyote Creek. The creek is the largest in all of Santa Clara Valley. Along the creek visitors must be careful of the poison oak and some of the dangerous animals such as rattlesnakes and bobcats. There are many fish, which live in and along the creek such as the channel catfish, bluegill, black crappie, black bass, Sacramento blackfish, and steelhead rainbow trout. You may also find an occasional western pond turtle or the scrub jay along the creekside. In addition to the creek there is Cottonwood Lake which is 12 acres large, is 8 feet deep, and averages 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Both the creek and the lake run alongside the paved trail.
The Paved Trail:
The Park also offers a paved trail for those who wish to skate, rollerblade, hike, or ride their bike. The trail is 13.7 miles long and runs parallel to the creek. It starts near the shadowbluff picnic area and runs through to Burnett Avenue which is just short of Morgan Hill. A round trip venture on the trail is just under 30 miles. Since the trail is paved it is open to bicyclists, rollerbladers, skaters, and hikers. The trail passes many things such as Metcalf park, Parkway fishing lakes, a PG&E substation, coyote ranch, Riverside Golf Course, Ogier quarry, a radio controlled model airplane area and ends at the sycamore nature trail. The trail is safe with call boxes along the way. Hiking this trail is no short trip be prepared when venturing off on this trail because this is not a circular trail it goes to an end at which you must turn around and go back the way you came.
Park Rangers:
I interviewed with Park Ranger Julie Heffner. She stated that there is a knoll on the hill located right behind the visitor center, which is where the remnants of the ranch that used to be owned by George Washington Hellyer. This is the only relic left from when he used to own the land. She told me that they offer guided tours of the visitor center and short park tours with appointments to classes. The interview gave me some valuable visitor information, for example, lakeside of the park is used more often than the other half; the best time to come to the park is right at the beginning of summer when it's most beautiful, and there are bike races held during the summer on Wednesdays and Fridays. She told me that the off leash area for dogs was made as a great way for park promotion, for the training of dogs, and that in today's urban society there isn't much room for dogs in the world; so they decided to build a park for them.
In Julie's view the job of a Ranger is "self rewarding if you love nature." "This is the best way to be outdoors and in touch with nature." says Julie. However she says being a ranger does have its downfalls such as working on the holidays, handing out citations, and removing dead animals from trails or paths.
The duties of the ranger at Hellyer are many. They must regulate the parking, the fishing, the trails, the Velodrome, the lake, the picnic area, the visitor center, and the playgrounds. They must also present the park as a positive and safe environment for all. Hellyer park is one of the five most used parks in Santa Clara County.
The Various Roles of Hellyer Park:
Park User:
Since Hellyer park offers so much I decided to go out and see exactly what uses it serves to the people using the park. I first had the liberty of speaking with David Quast who proclaims himself to be an avid park user. David uses the park on varieties of occasions "it all depends on the time of year" according to Dave. He uses the park mostly for playing various sports with his friends such as soccer, volleyball, and football. According to Dave this park is convenient for him and offers large fields of well-maintained grassland. I then went on to interview another park user whose name was Marissa Gutierrez. She says she tries to come here every afternoon after she gets off work to take her baby for a walk and get some exercise for herself. Marissa says "It's a nice way to exercise, doing laps around the lake and I even take the baby with me for the walk." Marissa also claims that after a long day even when she doesn't feel like going for a walk she often comes down just to feed the ducks. According to Marissa "They're always hungry and looking for food."
Velodrome user:
The Velodrome is the cyclists track located inside Coyote Hellyer Park. I spoke with Ron Spitalere about his use of the Velodrome. According to Ron the cost is relatively low for bike rental and track use. He said "For a first time user the Velodrome might truly seem foreign. It is a circular track with a steeply banked wall unlike anything else." Ron also said that the bikes used on the track are "Fixed gear" bikes which means it has only 1 speed and if you pedal forward you go forward, if you pedal backward you go backward no coasting and no brakes. He says, "This is hard to get used to at first because if you stop pedaling the pedals don't and will keep your feet going. If you want to stop the bike you must use your leg muscles to slowly fight the forward momentum of the pedals." Ron says that if you really want to see what the Velodrome is like come out and see one of the races.
Dog Park user:
The dog park according to Nancy Lighton is the "best place for dog to run free." Nancy uses the dog park for what she says is at least and hour every opportunity she gets. Nancy has a German Shepherd which she named Buddy. She and her dog go there and play fetch with the frisbee or a tennis ball "Which ever she finds first" according to Nancy. In Nancy's eyes this is a "great place" living in a townhouse she has little to no backyard for her dog to roam or play in so she and Buddy go here. The only thing is that Nancy wishes there were more of these dog parks around for others to use and take advantage of.
Neighbor of the park:
In an interview with Joe Giardina a neighbor of the park he claims that like everything the park has it advantages and its disadvantages. According to Joe "Being a fisherman it provides a way to relax at a moments notice." Joe also says that living across from the park also has its downfalls too. He states "Around December when the wind and rain kicks in it really does a number on the trees and the streets surrounding the park. Our streets get covered with bark, leaves, and branches which just looks terrible not to mention the fact that they blow onto your property." Joe also doesn't like the fact that when people are too "Cheap" to pay to park. They park in front of his house and "trample" his grass. "Overall I am glad the park is here for me and when my children were younger" says Joe.
A Trail User:
My girlfriend and I decided to experience all the trail had to offer. We awoke early one morning and took our bikes down to Coyote Hellyer Park where we embarked upon our mission. The trail took the better part of the day being on bicycle was a definite advantage, I really don't think we could have made it to one end and back on foot by nightfall. We rode down the trail occasionally stopping to view wildlife. After reaching one end we knew roughly how long it would take to reverse and go back so we took a much more relaxed approach to the ride back. While on the trail it seems to be "never-ending" according to Frances. However, I enjoyed the length because of the opportunity it gives you to see a variety of wildlife and scenery. After stopping to look at practically everything on the ride back, we arrived back to our car late afternoon. This is really a great experience for anyone who likes to be outside and with nature.
Park's Future:
The Park Charter Fund allocates money, for the park to develop. Recent funds allowed for the construction of the flying disc course and the renovation of older picnic areas. This fund sets aside 1.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for parkland acquisition, operation, development, and maintenance. This fund will allow for vast improvements in this and many other parks in the future.
Reference Material
Books:
Arbuckle, Clyde. History of San Jose. Memorabilia of San Jose, 1986
Crain, Jim. California in Depth. Chronicle Books. San Francisco, 1994
Gille, Frank. Encyclopedia of California. Somerset Publishers. New York,
1984
Grieb, Michael. Cinnabar in the Hills. Addison Westley. Los Angeles, 1984
Rolle, Andrew. California: A History. Harlan Davidson Inc. Wheeling, 1987
Sawyer, Eugene. History of the Santa Clara County California. Historic
Record Company. Los Angeles, CA, 1982
Newspaper Articles and Pamphlets:
Cambrian News, October 4, 1967
County of Santa Clara, Parks and Recreation Department, Coyote Hellyer
County Park. March 1994
San Jose Martin Luther King Library, California Room, Newspaper
Clippings File, Unknown Publication Dates
San Jose Mercury News, August 6, 1986; October 10, 1990
San Jose News, June 25, 1971
Interviews Conducted:
Giardina, Joe: Neighbor of the park and lake fisherman
Gutierrez, Marissa: Park user
Heffner, Julie: Park Ranger
Joice, Andrew: Trail user partial commentary
Lighton, Nancy: Dog park user
Pena, Frances: Trail user
Quast, Dave: Park user
Spitalere, Ron: Velodrome user
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